Anatomical articulator



R. E. CAMPBELL.

ANATOWCAL ARTICULATOR. APPLICATION HLED JAN. 7; 1920.

Lasgwa Patented June 14,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR R. E. CAMPBELL.

ANATOMICAL ARTICULATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 7,1920. 1,381,79l. Patented June 14, 1.921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.5

IN V PINTO R aberf E. Cam able]! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT EDGAR CAMPBELL, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

ANATOMICAL ARTIGULATOR.

Application filed January 7,1320. Serial No. 350,032.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bonner E. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of Californina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Anatomical Articulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an anatomical articulator and especially to improvements whereby the movements of the human mandible may be more closely approximated. The movements of the human mandible are many and varied, but only a comparatively small part of their range involved in mastication is of interest to the prosthetic dentist.

Tlhese movements of mastication occur only when planes of two or more antagonizing teeth are in contact. These movements are complex in character, the combination of two or more simple movements acting and reacting upon one another when operated simultaneously in concert.

The complex masticatory action of the mandible is made up so far as the present invention is concerned by 1. The opening and closing or vertical movement.

2. The side to side or lateral movement.

3. The incisive or forward thrust movement.

Each of these movements functionate about their own variable center, and all are so re lated that operated by the muscles and guided by the cusps of the teeth they coordinate automatically, producing the infinite combinations that make up masticatory efliciency.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified device, as above characterized, which will accurately reproduce the positions and movements of the human mandible so as to insure an accurate and perfect reproduction of artificial teeth for the human jaw.

Other objects will appear hereafter in the detailed description that follows.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the articulator.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

.Fig. 3 is a plan view partially in section.

Fig. 4C is a cross section of one of the mounting plates.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. l. Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates a base member on which is secured a vertically disposed post 2 and a horizontally positioned guide bar 3. Slidably mounted on the guide bar is a mounting plate at, and adapted to secure said plate in any adjusted position desired is a set screw 5. The guide bar 3 is provided with a graduated scale 6 on one side, said scale being PIOVlClQChfOl the purpose of indicating the exact position of the mounting plate when a set of teeth has been mounted in the articulat-or and correctly adjusted.

Supported by the post 2 is a head memher 7. This member is provided for the purpose of supporting an upper mounting plate 8. This plate, together with the head member, is vertically adjustable upon the post, said adjustment being obtained by means of a socket extension 9 and a set screw 10 carried thereby. The post and the socket member are square in cross section and turning movement of one with relation to the other is thereby obviated. The post is also provided with a graduated scale and any adjustment obtained may, therefore, be recorded to permit duplication of the head member and the upper plate whenever desired. The forward portion of the head member is in this instance slotted to receive a forward projecting arm 11. The upper plate is slidably mounted on this arm and is secured thereto by means of a set screw 12. The arm is also provided with a graduated scale and the exact position of the plate may, therefore, be recorded and reproduced whenever desired. The rear end of the head member is provided with a cylindrical chamber in which is mounted a plunger The head is also provided with a threaded extension 13 for the reception of the screw cap 14, said screw cap engagingacoil spring which is interposed between the cap and the plunger as will hereinafter be described.

The forward end of the cylindrical chamber is rounded to receive the socket member 15 formed on the inner end of the upper plate carrying arm, and the inner end of the plunger is recessed to receive the socket memher and it therefore serves as a friction whereby the free pivotal movement of the arm may be regulated. The socket member V notch 24-.

formed on the inner end of the arm permits vertical movement of the arm in the slot. Lateral movement is also necessary and for this purpose adjustable jaws 16 and 17 are provided. Each jaw is pivotally mounted at its rear end as at 18 in the head member 7, said pivotal mounting permitting opening and closing or the jaws; Each jaw is also provided with a downwardly extending lug 19 adjacent its forward'end. The lugs are each provided with an opening adapted to receive an adjusting screw 20, said adjusting screws each being threaded into a lateral extension 20* iormcd on the upper end oi? the socket member 9. A spring 21 is interposed between each lug 19 and lateral extensions 20, said springs tending to force the jaws toward closing.

To reproduce the movement o1 the mandible when the cusps engage each other, a V-shaped notch 2a is formed on the upper end of the socket member between the lateral extensions 20; The inclined s des of this notch are set at aproximately 45 as this conforms to the cusp angle oi the majority of teeth. A set screw 26 carried by the arm engages the notch and serves two functions, first, that of imparting lateral movement to the arm which is'similar to the cusp movement of the mandible; and secondly, that of limiting the downward movement or the bite of the teeth. lncisive movement is permitted when the set screw 26 is raised which permits the plate 8 to be swung upward or downward with the ball 15 as a pivot; 1 i i From the foregoing description it can be seen that I have'provided an articulator which permits pivotal movement of the upper plate, said movement being compared to the vertical movement of the mandible. Secondly that lateral movement may be obtained by adjusting the position of the jaws 16 and 1". Third, that cusp movement is obtained by the inclined faces formed by the And fourth, that the incisive or forward thrust is permitted by sliding move ment ot the upper or lower plate. The main movements of the mandible and the com pound movements produced thereby can thus be positively reproduced when a. set of teeth are being fitted, and other adjustments may be obtained by the vertical adjustment of the head member and longitudinal adjustment of both the upper and lower plates.

' By referring to Figs. 2 and d or" the drawings, it will be seen that each. mounting plate is provided with a series of screws 28. These are screwed partially through the plates when teeth are to be mounted thereon and as teeth. when mounted on the plates are generally held by plaster Paris, it can be seen that the projecting screws will serve as anchors for the plaster Paris and will secure it against removal. However, when the teeth ,by the median line ort the mouth may be obtained. This pin is threaded near the head end as shown at 31, and when not in use is secured into a pocket 32 formed in the for ward end of the upper plate supporting arm, said pocket being threaded near its outer end as at 33 to receive the threaded portion 31 of the pin. This pocket merely retains the pin against loss; when it is desired to use the pin it is only necessary to remove it from the retaining pocket and to place it in a vertical threaded opening as shown at 33. In case the pin obstructs the work in hand, it may be readily removed and thus leave the front of the articulator open for inspection.

Another important feature of the present invention the placing of the set screw which limits the vertical movement or bite of the upper plate. By placing it on the inner end of the arm it assumes a position where is entirely out of the way and where it will not interfere with any parts of themechanism or the work supported thereby. This is also true of the lateral adjusting screws and other parts of the mechanism. In fact the whol articulator is exceedingly simple and compact in construction, easy to adjust and operate.

l Vhile certain features of the present invention are more or less specific in design, I wish understood that various changes in construction and proportion may be resorted to within the scope of the appendedclaims, similarly that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or various uses may demand.

2 avin g thus described my invention, what claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 1. An anatomical articulator comprising a base member, a post vertically disposed thereon, a head member vertically adjustable on the post, a socket member journaled in the head, an arm carried by'said socket member, said arm being laterally and vertically movable about the socket member, screws and adjusting springs for limiting the downward movement ofthe arm, screws and opposing springs for varying the lateral movement oi the arm, and an upper mounting plate carried by the arm.

2. An anatomical articulator comprising a base member, a post vertically disposed thereon, a head member vertically adjustable on the post, a socket member journaled in the head, an arm carried by said socket member, said arm being laterally and vertically movable about the socket member, means for limiting the downward movement of the arm, means for varying the lateral movement of the arm, an upper mount ing plate carried by the arm, a cam face having oppositely inclined surfaves positioned at approximately 45 formed on the head member, and an adjusting screw on the arm engageable with said inclined faces.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with the head member, of a socket bearing mounted therein, an arm carried by the socket member, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted on the head member engageable with the sides of the arm, screws and opposing springs for adjusting the po sition of said jaws to limit lateral movement of the arm, and a notch on the socket member and an engaging screw on the arm for limiting the downward movement of the same with relation to the head member.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with the head member, of a socket bearing mounted therein, an arm carried by the socket member, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted on the head member engageable with the sides of the arm, opposing screws and springs for adjusting the position of said jaws to limit lateral movement of the arm, means on the arm for limiting the downward movement of the same with relation to the head member, said means comprising a set screw carried by the arm, and opposed inclined surfaces assuming an angle of approximately 4-5 formed in the head member and adapted to be engaged by the set screw.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with the head member, of a socket bearing mounted therein, an arm carried by the socket member, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted on the head member engageable with the sides of the arm, means for adjusting the position of said jaws to limit lateral movement of the arm, means on the arm for limiting the downward movement of the same with relation to the head member, said means comprising a set screw carried by the arm, and inclined surfaces assuming an angle of approximately 45 formed in the head member and adapted to be engaged by the set screw, springs carried by the head member adapted to project the adjustable jaws and screws carried by each aw returning the same to normal position.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with the head member, of a socket bearing mounted therein, an arm carried by the socket member, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted on the head member engageable with the sides of the arms, means for adjusting the position of said jaws to limit lateral movement oi the arm, means on the arm for limiting the downward movement of the same with relation to the head member, said means comprising a set screw carried by the arm, opposed inclined surfaces assuming an angle of approximately 5 formed in the head member and adapted to be engaged by the set screw, and a friction member engageable with the socket bearing, said member comprising a plunger, a screw cap and a spring interposed between the plunger and the screw cap.

7. An articulator comprising a base member, a head member vertically adjustable thereon, an arm pivotally mounted in the head member, a mounting plate carried by the arm, a mounting plate carried on the base member, means for limiting pivotally in a downward direction of the arm and plate carried thereby, and a V-shaped notch on the socket member and a set screw engaging with the notch for regulating lateral movement of the arm, and for imparting a cusp movement to the arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT EDGAR CAMPBELL.

Witnesses LAURA JACKSON, CLARA H. MOON. 

